The Old Portland

From the outside, you approach a rather non-descript older building somewhere between Slabtown and the Pearl. However, the moment you step through the metal-framed glass front door, you are transported somewhere else. Moreover, what you come to realize as you gaze at the eclectic collection of memorabilia throughout is that there is a story waiting to be told. However, before you can get to the “back” story, cozy up to the bar and introduce yourself to Chris. He is the laid-back host, sommelier, front man, musician, producer, tour guide, curator, deli chef, etc… He’ll tell you about the French wines they are pouring this week. Perhaps a French Rose or Chardonnay is what you’re looking for, but for me, and always, it’s the French red. Tonight, we had a bottle of the 2016 Bordeaux, with a simple but delicious charcuterie board. Yes, Chris did the corking, decanting, and charcuterie carving! There are so many things right about this wine bar and the vibe here that you simply must visit. It’s hip, chill, cool, old school charm, and before you take your first sip of wine, you are already in love! The signs hanging on the walls appear to be from a bygone era. Maybe they reference the building’s history? I’m quite sure Chris would be happy to answer your questions. He’s an excellent conversationalist, and is one of the main reasons this place is so unique and absolutely worth you’re your time to explore. I won’t get into the “back” story about this place, but it’s fascinating, and if you are one of the lucky patrons, you might just get a guided tour by the above-mentioned curator, Chris. I have attached a few pictures from our recent tour for your consideration. Cheers!

Stopped in for a glass of red before heading to the train station and enjoyed a very tasty Bordeaux. Also enjoyed an unexpectedly great conversation with Chris. Definitely will visit again.

A lovely space with a great feel, and really amazing wines sold far cheaper than they should be. The host, Chris I think was his name, was incredibly friendly and generous and it was just a wonderful way to spend Valentines Day!

Wow, I loved this place. Not because it has every wine you ever wanted, but because someone who knows their wine chose a very specific set of wines to share with the world. We tried 4 different wines and were 4 for 4. I’d say that’s pretty great. Friendly, laid back service. It’s as quirky as it gets, but the wine is excellent

We were a group of 11 last night and we had such a good time here. We were able to sit in the back area to the left of the bar, and it felt private which was nice. This is one of those bars though that is so friendly and inviting, you end up talking to everyone in the bar as the night goes on anyway. Chris is so accommodating and kind, and the wines were fab and affordable. On top of all that greatness, we got a tour of the place and it was a really unique experience. Thank you so much for having us it was perfect.

So this one time, I was on a road trip. I stopped in at a casino, and I put $20 in the slot machine. After a few spins, I was feeling lucky, and I hit “max bet”. Turns out it was perfect timing because I hit the bonus on the next spin. I ended up walking out with $180. Fast forward to when I was heading home on the same trip- I stopped for gas, and decided to spend $2 on a scratch off. I ended up winning $20. I took a chance on something small, but with mighty potential, and it paid off. Twice. That’s what kind of place this is. Stop by, take a chance, and see what happens. The wine is excellent, and the staff is so incredible that they are now friends of mine. If you’re looking for a new spot to try, this is it.

The Old Portland will one day be regarded by those in-the-know as one of the classic Portland institutions that make the city what it is. It’s the uniquely PDX quirkiness, the quality of wine options, and the cast of interesting and influential regulars who make the OP a must-visit in the city, and it’s Chris—the welcoming and knowledgeable host / wine tender who makes this place special and keeps everyone coming back.

Portland is a wine town, but OPWB stands out. If you want OR Pinot, they have it...by the bottle and usually 20 years old, otherwise it's Bordeaux, normally 10 years old, by the glass with the odd Cremant (sparkling) and maybe a white burgundy. That is it, but the wines are carefully vetted and the service is second to none. Arrive late and prepare for laughs.

Best wine bar in Portland. The wine was amazing and was only matched by Chris's attention to detail. A must stop when in Portland!

Good wine. Aloof and indifferent host. Bread/cheese plate completely lacked presentation--looked like a kid cut up little squares of cheddar and scraps of bread. Too bad since it's a nice space. No nod goodbye as we left and I will add that there were few customers. Not a positive outing.

I Bordeaux! Such a cool place. Always friendly folks. Been a couple times and I will be back.

What a great little French wine bar! Full of local color, as well! Will be going back soon.

No. Frills. If you love wine and hate the pretentious and painful quiet that often comes with wine bars- this place is for you. This place is a little hidden, no major signage, seems like a run down hole in the wall but that's it's charm. They have red, white, and bubbles, and you get whatever they have open that night. Initially I was skeptical but they only serve older/aged Bourdeauxs here. The bottle we had was phenomenal - one of the best bourdeauxs I have ever had. They clearly really know their wine. Each glass will cost you about $12 because if you bought the bottle we had it would have been about $50 to purchase on the street so $12 was a great price. They also bring some pistachios to your table. The ambiance and decor were really neat and just unlike any pretentious wine bar I have ever been to- and far more enjoyable. The bartender was very friendly and engaged in conversation and very knowledgeable about the wine selection. I would love to visit again the next time I'm in Portland.

The best wine bar in Portland! The menu is simple - a red, white, or sparkling. They are all old vintage French varietals and are wonderful!

Utterly unique place to check out in portland. The best place I know to split a bottle of good wine with a friend.

This spot is a treasure! Simple and delicious menu, great ambiance, awesome people. Check it out!

Chances are if you end up here, you're a friend of the Dandy Warhols, but it's worth checking out even if you're not. Brainchild of lead singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor, this took over the office space part of the Odditorium - their rehearsal / hangout / recording / storage space. This place used to be a big secret - you had to know one of the band to get the magical address. Hang on, let me grab a glass of wine so I can be in the right spirit to finish the review. Travis, one of the main people running the show, used to be married to ever-amazing Zia, the keyboardist. If you're lucky you might catch one of them here. This venue really reflects some of the awesomest things about the Dandies: 1. Their style. The walls are covered in Portland and rock history...you could spend hours looking at all of them. Each one has a story. Oh, and the lead singer xeroxed them all by hand himself from his personal collection. 2. Their community attachment. The Dandies are really involved in the Portland community. This bar is literally part of the band's building...they could be recording a new single just a few rooms over. And they've invited you into their space. 3. Their generosity. If you listen to Courtney tell it, some of these wines are dramatically underpriced. I'm no wine connoisseur, so I can't tell you if he's bullshitting, but I believe him. 4. Their character. Chilling here you can almost hear Courtney waxing eloquently about the history of the wines, their gigs...Brent's laughter across the room...Pete sitting quietly with some of his best friends...Zia flowing around the room with her constant poise. One of my favorite things about the Dandies is that they're popular enough a lot of people have heard of them, but they're still accessible....and this is one prime example. I'm not really sure if it keeps regular hours, honestly, but hopefully someone can stop by on an off day and let me know. I wasn't here for the wine; I was here for the Dandies, and it didn't disappoint.

I hate to review this place because I don't want the secret getting out, but it's one of my favorite places to visit in my neighborhood. Chris, the bartender, is a great conversationalist and knows his stuff with the wines they are serving. Each night you can get a great red, white or bubbly by the glass and a ton of awesome wines by the bottle for much less than anywhere else we've been. I highly recommend this place if you're looking for a chill wine bar that has a killer playlist.

Part wine bar, part wine shop...cool and comfy as hell. This place is a hidden gem amongst the construction of Slabtown/Pearl's boom. Gotta look hard from the outside and notice the little black and white sign. Walk into a warm and cool old world of closed Portland bar furnishings, gig posters and amazing old vintage, old world wines...chosen by the badass, friendly and worldly owner...who also happens to be the frontman of the Dandy Warhols. The place feels more like hanging out in an old French bar or a hole in the wall in the East Village than your typical wine bar...or any drinking hole for that matter. This is the place to go if you like really good wine and hanging out with cool, sweet people. Cozy up to the bar and chat with Travis, the man who's going to educate you on what your drinking and chat with you about anything and everything. One sweet dude with a damn cool hat. My new local for sure.

Amazing place. Chris the server was really cool and showed up the whole space and was very engaging. Music selection and wine selections were first rate . What an amazing place with a vibe you can't miss. Highly recommend stopping and enjoying a wonderful experience .

Reading over some of the previous reviews on here, I feel like there's some sort of inside joke I'm not privy to. OK, I guess the bohemian décor and atmosphere are cool, and the wait staff are nice enough. We enjoyed the music selection they had piped in as well. Other than that.. well... The wine selection struck me as pretty small, with no more than 9 or 10 by the glass options. I read the review in the Willamette Weekly about this place, which indicated the owner was really into Bordeaux. Well me too I guess, but the selection was pretty "vin ordinaire" the late afternoon we stopped in. I think they had two to choose from, which is what was available in rose as well (my wife ordered a rose). Both wines were pleasant, but really nothing special either (the reds I ordered were Haut Medoc, cru bourgeois level stuff - no classified growths here.). As we were here for a bit, I figured we'd order some food. The bartender said he could put together a meat and cheese plate for us, but that was pretty much all that was available (I think they had some nuts available as well). So we went with that. It was fine, no complaints, but hardly anything memorable either. Shrug. We had an OK time, but nothing really stood out, and I don't understand what the attraction is for this place. We went here after work on a Friday, so it had just opened. At least while we were here, the place was completely dead (Old Portland is pretty small anyway, but even so, it was near empty the entire time we were here. Maybe the place is more popular later in the evening? But then again, this place is only open for 5 hours, according to the website.) There are much better wine bars in Portland (in fact, we went to one right after leaving OP), and some of them even serve more than just a meat and cheese appetizer plate. Like I said, we didn't have a bad time at OP, but I'll be damned if I can think of a reason why I'd want to come back here.

Been here twice now and neither time did I regret it. Don't expect anything other then wine and snacks. You get what the pour so pick between white, red, and bubbly. The name of the place says it all and if you have lived in Portland for longer then 10 years this place will warm your heart.

Amazing place!!! They have a small selection of truly wonderful wines. They decant the red which is always older than 10 years and is always a Bordeaux! Their menu is small but extremely well priced and nice. The ambiance is great and it's great to look around at the relics.

Awesome down to Earth wine bar, with a flare for the artistic. Great music always playing, and a good place to meet up with someone, or make new friends. Very loving tribute to a Portland time period that is slowly vanishing under condos and 3 pm rush hours. Cool bartenders, too. Great place to just chill, or get into an interesting conversation.

Read about this place about 6 months ago. Exactly as I expected and described in other reviews: cool, comfy and great stuff! Had an awesome Bordeaux and a nice plate of appetizers. I'll be back!

If you enjoy the complexity that develops in an aged Bordeaux or Burgundy this is the place for you! The Old Portland is the only wine bar I have been to that specializes in older vintages by the glass and each visit has been an experience to note. The space is intimate and pays homage to the Portland music scene and decor salvaged from buildings by-gone. Wine selection is jaw dropping affordable. A+!